A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
288 pages
Published 2020
Read from November 10 to November 22
Rating: 4 out of 5
First and foremost, it's a delight to read a YA fantasy novel in which the protagonist-narrators show an actual range of emotions. I've had ill luck in recent years with modern YA narrators with chips on their shoulders, incapable of speaking in any meter but sarcasm. Morrow's two alternating viewpoint characters have depth and dimension to them, which shouldn't be this rare, but here we are.
I love the setting Morrow constructs. Beings of folklore -- sirens, elokos, sprites, gargoyles, oracles -- exist in modern society (or history) and everyone knows about them. Everyone knows the stories attached to them but is at least partially aware that the lore is often prejudiced and mistaken. There's no secret underground away from the mundane world. Everyone goes to high school and has to deal with shitty cops. The magical mingles with the mundane in a wondrous way.
Morrow uses the tools of the fantastic to craft a powerful allegory for the silencing of Black voices, particularly those of Black women. The healing powers of family, community, and having your voice truly be heard are an important through-line.
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